Dr Inkpin, who is Australia's first openly transgender Anglican priest, had realised she was different when she was four or five, she says.

She "couldn't put her finger on" exactly what that meant. But she knew she was not like other boys.

When she dressed as a Norman soldier in a "terrific" costume her father made for her — for a fancy dress competition in the small rural community in northern England she grew up in — she kept looking longingly at her sister's Queen Elizabeth I garb.

This was "part of the story of my life", she now reflects in her home in Brisbane, Queensland, "trapped in a false costume, encased in something that doesn't fit my spirit".

But it is only now, in her 50s, that she has decided to transition and live as a woman. Which, for a priest, is extremely rare.

The Anglican Church in Australia, which displayed fierce internal divisions during the same-sex marriage debate, has never even debated the subject of transgender amongst parishioners, let alone priests.

But Dr Inkpin says she can no longer hide who she is. And now she wants the church to focus on hearing and healing transgender people living with shame, depression, anger, self-hate and suicidal thoughts.

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I believe Dr Inkpin may have served in Toontown during her earlier life.

Why not? Priests, Nuns, Monks, the church has been a sanctuary for gay community over 1,000 years. The religious factor could give benefit to the doubt of someones sexuality since one would act differently if they were beyond physical earthly relationships. They wouldn't have to keep up a sham marriage.

For many that believe there is a gay Gene many believe the church made more gay people since gay people had to pretend to be straight, get married, have kids passing the gene.